Last week, the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan launched the 6th Irish Sports Monitor Report. The report commissioned by Sport Ireland and written by Ipsos MRBI covers the period April 2015 to April 2016.

According to the findings, nearly half of the Irish population, aged 16 and over, engage regularly in "sport". The most popular activities including personal exercise (13.7%), running (8.2%), swimming (8%), cycling (5.5%) and soccer (4.8%).

Other findings from the report are summarised on the Sport Ireland website and can be found here. Among the more interest are the following:

Gaelic football remains the most popular form of sporting event.

Team sports such as Gaelic football, soccer and hurling/camogie having the largest numbers of volunteers.

Soccer, Gaelic football and swimming are the most common sports played with children.

Mothers are more likely to say that they participate in more sport since having children.

Just over 12% of the adult population are sedentary i.e. take part in no regular sport, recreational walking, walking for transport or cycling for transport.